Nature's Sorcery
by rain-on-my-soul
Summary: Two kingdoms on opposite sides of the seasons, are facing a brewing storm that threatens the existence of all who inhabit the large continent. Will they come together in time to save their people? Or will the end result be a devastating break between friends, family, and lovers?


**Nature's Sorcery**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

A/n: Well, we'll see how this goes. This is an AU story of sorts involving many of the Naruto characters, but mostly focuses on two pairings in general: Kakashi/Iruka and Sasuke/Naruto. There will be other pairings as well, M/M and M/F. Though this will mostly involve the actual Naruto characters, there will be some minor original characters. It comes with this being an AU. This will be my first Naruto story to hopefully be multi-chaptered in a long sense (as in high double digits). Also, there will be mature content in the future, but I will make sure to warn anyone sensitive to that type of material. Hope this goes well, and thank you for reading.

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Prologue: Part A

Umino Iruka jumped from his perch at the first flash of lightning. He scrambled up and back from the cliff that he had been sitting upon for what seemed like hours. The wind seemed to be pulling him forward anyway. For as long as he had been watching from above, the wind had been howling fiercely all around him and out to stir the darkened air. The sea that his cliff hangout overlooked was just as mad looking as the wind. But it was not until now that the sharp flashes of light had entered the fury. It made Iruka shake with nervousness, and for good reason. The storm had made up its mind; it would not let up, but surge in the direction of devastation. Turning his back to the memories of crystal blue that had once called him insistently, everyday, Iruka ran toward safety, just as the wet, fat drops became a wall of icy pinpricks.

Out of breath and shivering in his sodden yukata, the young teen entered the castle in one piece and headed to the king's bedroom, never stopping his frantic run that had started at the cliffside. He knew the king would be in his bedroom, not the council room, despite the danger that was sweeping up their shores to bang on the front door. If the chaos that the household was currently experiencing was any indication, then the entire kingdom was just as anxious as Iruka was. He skittered around to navigate it all. Still running.

A rumble of thunder masked Iruka's knock on the door, but he entered the room anyway.

"Otō-san!" called the boy, from the entry chamber that led to the main bedroom. "Otō-san!" he gasped.

"We're in here, Iruka," a gentle voice replied. Hearing this, Iruka continued on into the bedroom to find his parents. There, he spotted his mother propped up by numerous pillows on the large bed she shared with her husband, and noticed his father standing by the most prevalent window, hands clasped behind his back and body facing away from the room's interior. "Okaa-san?" the young male looked to the owner of the gentle voice that beckoned to him.

Pregnant and large, Uzumaki Kushina, smiled at her son from her current prison. She had been forced into bed-rest for the last week and a half. Her pending due date made those around her act in supreme caution. But she would always make time for Iruka and his soulful caramel eyes.

Iruka began to make his way over to the bed, but slowed when he got closer to his father. He wanted to stop to make sure that being with his mother was actually okay, and that she was not overexerting herself because she was too kind to refuse Iruka anything. The blonde male by the window watched his son from the corner of his eye and when the boy paused, Minato turned to give Iruka an encouraging smile. No longer hesitant, the young teen crawled into the covers surrounding his mother.

Suddenly, Kushina gave a little yelp, her body also trying to jump with her voice.

"Iruka! You're clothes are drenched! You're going to get the bed wet," she admonished. "Were you outside in this weather?" Minato had turned with his wife's cry, apprehension in his gaze, but now he looked stern.

"Iruka," he spoke, "first, come out from those blankets. You'll make your mother and the baby sick with your wet clothes. And second, were you outside in the storm?"

The brunette teen knew that his father was not angry, nor was his mother, but at the mention of the baby, Iruka began to feel guilty and fearful. He cared immensely about what his parents thought of him, and always worried over anything that could happen to them. Sheepishly, Iruka climbed down from his mother's side to stand, dripping, next to the bed. He had his back to his mother and would not look his father in the eye.

Kushina sensed the anxiety coming from her son and wanted nothing more than to reassure him. She knew he often blamed himself over the littlest things; his heart was too generous for his own good. She had seen this ever since the day that her and Minato had adopted Iruka when his birth parents died all those years ago. The red-haired woman glanced over at her husband and his eyes met hers. She saw her thoughts reflected in the crystal blue irises.

"Come here, Iruka," Minato quietly breathed.

When Iruka lifted his eyes, he realized his father was holding out a hand to the boy. Iruka took it timidly.

Minato gently pulled Iruka close, surrounding the young male in the warm folds of the blonde's long, outer robes and the even warmer bend of his arms. He did not care that the brunette was sodden and damp. "Tell me why you were outside. Please?"

"I was watching the sea," murmured Iruka, into the fabric he had buried his face. "…and the wind."

"Were you at the cliffs again?"

"…yes…"

"Haven't we told you that's dangerous, Iruka?" Kushina put in from her mostly permanent spot on the bed. He just nodded into his father's robes.

Detecting the slight shivers that moved up and down Iruka's spine, shivers that were faintly unique to the tremors his cold clothes were causing, Minato pulled his adopted son closer.

"What has you so frightened, my son?" Namikaze Minato inquired.

Iruka's brown eyes looked up. "The lightning. And the howling. The storm's getting stronger, Otō-san."

"I know, I know."

"What if it breaches our shores?"

"We'll make sure nothing happens to you, Iruka."

Minato hugged the small boy tight to his chest and turned to wordlessly regard his wife.

* * *

Sidestepping a family of four headed in the opposite direction, Kakashi resumed his meandering pace through the main streets. He kept himself hunched forward; he had to brace himself against the winds, but he remained unhurried. Even as his wild, silver hair struggled between moments of anti-gravity and drooping into Kakashi's face.

More people were passing around him. Entire families and households were making their way from the openness of the valley, which housed the main part of the kingdom, to the shelter of the timeless mountains.

A few small fires had started in some of the homes of the outer village. And the rain seemed to be doing nothing to dampen the flames.

Hatake Kakashi outwardly ignored the turmoil he was wading through to get to the castle.

If only he could see the moon.

Emptier than the town surrounding it, the castle threw echoes from wall to wall with each step the teen took. His presence outside the war room door had probably been expected since he had entered the stone building. Kakashi did not bother knocking (not that he ever had before).

Uchiha Itachi glanced up when Kakashi entered through the large, wooden doors directly across the vast chamber. The black-haired, older teen nodded at his brother, but quickly turned back to the scattered parchments strewn about the table in front of him. He knew Kakashi would take his time to make his way over to join those at the table. Itachi almost smirked when he glimpsed, in his peripherals, the younger male shake flattened silver hair in an effort to free it from the weight of the linger raindrops. He knew the motion had less to do with irritation, and more to do with lessening the risk of ruining important plans when Kakashi eventually came over to look at the papers himself.

When Kakashi approached the group to stand next to his brother, he was silent and still. He carefully assessed all that was in front of him, storing the information away effortlessly, and knowing he would be able to recall everything just as easily.

The silver-haired teen was about to share an opinion when his older brother's quiet voice cut the air.

"The villagers, Kakashi, how many are left?"

"Seventy-six." He knew the answer without having seen all in person.

"Were they being successfully led into the mountain provinces?"

"My men are in charge of the evacuation, Itachi-san. I trust them," answered Uchiha Obito, cutting his friend and rival off with a wink.

Itachi turned to Obito, but did not reply. Still looking at him, searching the same eyes only to find a shine of conviction, Itachi spoke once more to his brother. "Did you see these men, Kakashi?"

Smirking under his mask at Obito, Kakashi replied, "yes, Aniki." Then his face returned to its usual blankness. "They were escorting all of the kingdom's people safely."

The two-full blooded Uchihas, and the half-blooded young teen that had been adopted into the royal family after the death of warlord Hatake Sakumo, swiftly let the moment pass. There were more important issues at hand; the group of nobles and advisors had gathered in the utmost sense of urgency. Protecting their home came first. Misleading rivalries and feuding over familial traditions, though always in the room, waiting for the chance to become relevant, had to be hastily looked over.

Sarutobi Asuma, the only one taking the time to enjoy his main vice, cleared his throat. "The storm, Itachi-san, it will likely destroy this valley if something is not done to prevent it from further breaching our coast. Homes all already burning from stray lightning strikes. And the smaller port outcroppings are barely holding against being washed away." Asuma reported this in inflectionless words, cigarette in hand, but his pace suggested alacrity.

"We should take care of the people first," put in Nohara Rin. "Get them out of the town and into the mountains. Then take care of any who are injured."

"I agree," replied the black-haired noble. He gave out his first orders since the start of the meeting. "Obito-kun and Rin-san, join those leading everyone to our mountain fortifications and make sure every single villager gets to safety. Take any staff left in the castle with you. Obito-kun, you lead your men efficiently. Rin-san, gather medics and injured together once you reach the mountains so that any healing that needs to be done can be completed. Go!"

Having been brought to attention as soon as they were addressed, the two teammates heard the command, bowed to Itachi, and promptly headed out for their assigned tasks.

Kakashi watched his two friends leave, both eyes clear and observing every step until the last.

"Kakashi," the teen in question rotated back around at the voice. "Did you want to go with them?" Itachi probed. Taking the inquiry seriously, Kakashi thought for a period in order to decide what he truly wanted in this moment.

"I will stay with you, Aniki. Rin-san will keep Obito from getting into too much trouble. You need me here, more."

Itachi graced his younger brother with a small and gentle smile. It was rare between the two siblings, but they shared it with sentiment.

"Itachi-san," a blue-skinned man, quiet throughout everything, silent since having entered the room at all, decided to speak up.

"What is our next move?"

Answering evenly, the royal Uchiha said, "We will head to the main port, where the warships are docked. It is time we reached out."

"Then I shall gather the remaining guards and my men." Hoshigaki Kisame inclined his head once.

"Anko-san," the purple-haired Mitarashi Anko looked to Itachi for orders.

"Upstairs."

Simply nodding in reply, she quickly left the room without a glance back.

"The rest of us will head out now."

Not wasting any time in these crucial moments, the groups bowed behind Itachi, and followed him out; their exit was swift and purposeful. At their rapid pace, they reached the dock in good time. Kisame's men surged ahead to prepare the main ship for its impending voyage and approaching crew.

"We'll head into the storm to stop it," Itachi announced.

* * *

"We'll head into the storm to stop it," Minato proclaimed.

The imposing blonde stood on his balcony, wind and rain pelting him with a cacophony of harsh sounds, as he continued to shelter his son against him. He made sure to shield the room behind him from the weather because he would not let it get to his wife and unborn child. There was no time to lose.

* * *

A/n: I apologize if anyone seems out of character, or if my adjustment of age and relationships confuses anyone. I do not watch nor read Naruto anymore, (have not for years) so what I know is from past experiences, fanfictions, friends, and some research. I know enough of the basic plotline, plot twists, and characters to get by. But because I am generating an alternate universe anyway, some rules are not going to apply. I hope this does not put anyone off though. The story will evolve and things should become clearer as we move along. Also, as far as the Japanese terms and language go, I am going on past-precedent. Let me know if anything is glaringly incorrect. I would love advice on how to make it flow better. Thank you for joining me so far! I look forward to any reviews, favorites, or follows, and anyone joining me for the next chapter!


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